Agricultural Revolution

Agricultural Revolution

Agricultural Revolution
The agricultural revolution led to the emergence of agrarian societies where the primary source of wealth is agricultural production. The agricultural revolution began in Europe and led to the emergence of the elite who gained control over numerous resources. This centralization of power led to the formation of the state and the development of institutions to protect the resources of the elites. In Britain, for instance laws under the Enclosure Act were passed. This allowed the wealthy to buy public land pushing out small scale farmers. These small-scale farmers would then resort to work on the farms of the wealthy. The small-scale farmers that were not able to find work on the farms of the wealthy then became vagrants within the cities of Britain.
The agricultural revolution was first upheaval to transform European society from a feudal to capitalist social system, during the early eighteenth century. The feudal systems under which the elite controlled land resources were replaced by the capitalist systems that were characterized by centralized states. State laws under capitalism allowed the wealthy to own land and control means of production, therefore exerting power over waged workers. Small-scale farmers who couldn’t find employment as waged workers were left unemployed and homeless under the capitalist system.
The changes have been made on the paragraph so as to stress on the transformation of the social system from feudalism to capitalism, which is the thesis statement. The sentences that follow define the two systems and how the changes take place, thereby supporting the paragraph’s thesis. The example of Britain as a state undergoing transformation has been omitted since it is part of Europe, and the capitalism state laws in Britain were generally similar to other European states.